1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toy water balloon dart assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
A water balloon is usually prepared by attaching the neck of a conventional balloon to a water spout with the water running inside the balloon until the balloon is filled with water. The user is required to hold the neck of the increasingly heavy balloon under the spout until the balloon is full of water. This may present a problem as the portion of the neck held by the user gradually becomes more and more slippery and the balloon may slip and fall.
A conventional infant aspirator may also be employed for filling a balloon with water. However, this may present a problem as the aspirator nozzle is not designed to fit the neck of a conventional balloon which may slow down the filling operation and frustrate unnecessarily the user.
Alternatively, a number of known water pumping devices have been used by children trying to fill a balloon with water. For example, children have been known to tie the neck of a balloon to a conventional toy high pressure water gun and then shoot water continuously inside the balloon trying to fill the balloon with water. This operation is not easy to accomplish as the water gun muzzle is not designed to fit the neck of a water balloon which may frustrate the user and result in broken balloons.
Various water pumps have been employed in the past to fill a balloon with water. Such pumps are usually portable, and have nozzles specifically designed for use with water balloons. Such devices typically have a nozzle designed to fit the neck of a standard balloon and should be capable of fast filling operation thereby eliminating all of the above-described problems. Such a device should be usable not only in the home but anywhere where there is a ready supply of water, such as in a swimming pool, lake, ocean or the like.
After the balloon is filled with water, the balloon is often used by children in games that usually involve propelling the water-filled balloon in the air at a target for amusement. Depending to a certain extent on the amount of water contained in the balloon, the speed of the propelled balloon, and the target surface, the water balloon may splash at impact with the target shooting water over a relatively large area for the delight of children playing with the water balloon.
Variations of this popular game are known. One such game involves using a so-called "water bazooka". The water bazooka employs a water balloon mounted in a barrel which is detachably connected to a trigger mechanism. The water balloon is secured by an elastic band which is also attached to the trigger mechanism. The actuation of the trigger mechanism propels the water balloon in the air. This type of launching requires time to master and may not be easy to use by young children. This water balloon launching device is also relatively heavy, is manufactured from a number of parts and is relatively expensive.
Another known water balloon launching device is a water balloon catapult which includes traditional slingshot components. The catapult is equipped with a finger guard to protect the fingers of the user during use of the device, however, this type of launching device may not be safe for use by young children and requires some time from the user to master its operation.
A variation on the above theme is the water balloon toss sling which includes a pouch adapted for seating a water-filled balloon and a pair of cords permitting rotational movement for tossing the water balloon from the sling. Such a device may be unsafe for use by young children and may injure the user if not used properly.
Accordingly, the need arises for a simple water balloon toy that can be easily propelled in the air by children or adults, is safe, inexpensive, portable and can be reused. Such a water balloon toy should preferably be used in combination with a portable, easy to use, efficient and hand-held water balloon pump designed specifically for use with water balloons. Such a combination should be easy to assemble and safe to use so as to be enjoyed by young children and adults alike.